Uniformly resilient flooring systems



Sept. 13 1966 R. E. OMHOLT 3,271,916

UNIFORMLY RESILIENT FLOORING SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 27, 1965 //VV/VTO/? RAY E. OMHOLT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,271,916 UNIFORMLY RESILIENT FLOORING SYSTEMS Ray E. Omholt, Berwyn, Pa., assigrior to Powerlock Floors, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,471 Claims. (Cl. 52-393) This invention relates to flooring systems.

In my prior Patent No. 3,031,725, there is disclosed a flooring system which has proven very satisfactory in use. That flooring system includes channels secured to a supporting base and to which the floor boards are secured by spaced clips, with splines engaging the boards interposed between the channels.

Greater stability has been obtained with the flooring of my prior patent than with any other flooring which has been available.

The upper surface of the floor in my prior patent however deflects more when a load is applied at the mid-channel point than when the same load is applied directly over the channels, and the present invention overcomes that condition.

The present invention relates to improvements in floors of the same general type as that of my prior patent but with controlled shock absorbency coupled with uniform rebound.

In accordance with the present invention the channels have interposed between their lower faces and the supporting base a material of predetermined shock absorbency, i.e., ability to deform and at a selected rate of deformation, and recovery, i.e., ability to deform and recover at a selected rate. A material of equal or of lesser total compressibility and of predetermined shock absorbency and rebound characteristics is provided in the voids between channels and between the underfaces of the floor boards and the upper face of the supporting base, and the latter material is in intimate contact with the lower faces of the floor boards except for the portions immediately above the channels.

The channels are limited as to their upward movement, preferably by anchors securing them to the supporting base, and the second mentioned material preferably has a thickness in excess of the spacing between the supporting base and the lower faces of the floor boards of predetermined extent, depending on the characteristics of the material and the specific amount of compressive resistance desired. Uniformly desirable and unique impact response characteristics and great stability are thus achieved.

It is accordingly the principal object of the present invention to provide a flooring system having enhanced impact response with stability.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a flooring system having differentially compressive supporting materials beneath the channels and beneath the floor boards between the channels so that a desired balance between shock absorbency and resiliency is attained.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a flooring system in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away to show the details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken approximately on the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of one of the holddown clips for holding the floor boards in locked engagement with the channels.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the supporting base is shown at 10, of concrete, and on which channels 11 are arranged in parallel relation.

The channels 11 each has a web 12 and opposite side marginal portions 13 extending upwardly from the web 12 with inwardly extending rims 14 substantially parallel to the web 12.

The channels 11 are preferably secured in position by anchoring devices or headed fasteners 15 which have shanks 16 extending into the supporting base and heads 17 which engage the webs 12 and limit the upward movement of the channels 11 while permitting limited downward deflection.

The channels 11, as in my prior US. Patent No. 3,031,- 725 are formed to close dimensional tolerances for enhancing their clip holding action. The channels 11 can be made of any desired material of adequate strength and preferably of steel with a heavy galvanizing or other resistant coating to prevent rusting.

A plurality of metallic clips 20 are provided, as in my prior patent, each having a central vertical plate portion 21, and lower oppositely extending horizontally disposed feet 22, the corners 23 of the feet 22 being rounded to aid in assembly to the channels 11.

The central plate portions 21 are provided with notches 24 extending inwardly from each side marginal edge for the accommodation of the rims 14.

The notches 24 have corner chamfers 25 for disposition at the intersection of the inner faces of the rims 14 and the inner faces of marginal portions 16 of the channels 11.

At the upper end of the central plate portion 21 oppositely extending fingers 26 are provided with beveled end portions 27 and tapered margins 28. The fingers 26 are slightly inclined upwardly and outwardly for a stronger holding action when in their final positions.

The floor boards 30 employed with the flooring system are of wood which can be milled or shaped to close dimensional tolerances, hard maple being particularly suitable.

Each of the floor boards 30 used in connection with the System of the present invention preferably has flat longitudinal top and bottom faces 31 and 32 and at a predetermined distance from the bottom face 32, has a longitudinal slot or groove 33 formed therealong on each side thereof.

The grooves 33 can be about one-third of the distance between the top face 31 and the bottom face 32, and closer to the bottom face 32 than to the top face 31, so that an increased wearing part is provided on each board 30 while still providing adequate holding and avoiding splitting.

Each floor board 30 has an upper vertical side wall face 34 extending upwardly from the groove 33 and a lower vertical side wall face 35 extending downwardly from the groove 33 with a beveled face 36 connecting thQbOttom of the groove 33 and the lower side wall face 35.

The beveled face '36 is at a location such that the clip finger 26 at its intersection with the plate portion 21 engages thereon.

The faces 34 of contiguous boards 30 are located and positioned by the plate portions 21 of the clips 20 between the faces 35, the clips 20 preventing the boards from being driven too tightly in their assembled positions.

The grooves 33 also serve for the reception of holding inserts 37 formed as corrugated strips which are positioned intermediate the clips 20 and channels 11 for re taining the boards 30 against independent deflection between the clips 20.

In accordance with the present invention the supporting base has a membrane 40 thereon, of any suitable material to isolate the flooring from ground water and ground water vapor in the base 10. For this purpose the membrane 40 can be of vinyl film of a thickness of the order of six mils.

Each of the channels 11 has interposed between the lower face of its web 12 and the membrane 40 on supporting base 10, a cushioning runner 41 and preferably of substantially rectangular cross section and of shock absorbing butyl rubber, or like material with the desired characteristics of resiliency and recovery under load. The runner 41, for a particular embodiment can have a thickness of the order of one eighth of an inch and in addition to its cushioning action it also provides a gasket seal at the channel anchors 15.

Between the channels 11 and extending therealong for continuous engagement with the bottom faces 32 of the boards 30 between the channels 11, panel inserts 42 are provided. The inserts 42 are preferably rectangular in transverse cross section, fill or substantially fill the space between channels 11, engage the bottom faces 32 of the boards 30 and engage the membrane 40. The panel inserts 42 can be of any preferred material having the specific resiliency characteristics and recovery under load, as well as being inert and not subject to mold, insect infestation or the like. For this purpose a fiberboard having a density in the range from 16 to 33 pounds per cubic foot and with impregnation with asphaltum of the order of by weight is preferred. The density is varied to suit the particular problem, greater density being employed for floors for industrial installations and lesser density being employed for gymnasium floors. The panel inserts 42, prior to the installation of the floor boards 30, preferably extend about one sixty-fourth of an inch above the top surfaces of the rims 14, so that they are continuously under compression and continuously engage the bottom faces 32 of the floor boards when the floor boards 30 are in place.

The mode of assembly and of use will now be pointed out.

The channels 11 are mounted in spaced parallel relation, with the cushioning runners 41 in supporting relation to the channels 11. The fasteners 15 have their heads 17 in engagement with the webs 12 of the channels 11. This engagement permits the channels 11 to defiect downwardly when a load is applied but does not permit any upward movement because of the limit stop action of the heads 17 While any preferred spacing of the channels 11 can be employed, a spacing of the order of 12 inches between centers has been found satisfactory.

With the channels 11 in place the panel inserts 42 are positioned between the channels 11 from end to end thereof.

.With the channels 11 secured in place, a plurality of clips 20 are inserted in the channels 11 and turned so that the plate portions 21 thereof are transversely disposed with respect to the channels 11. Upon turning of the clips 20 they will be moved to a position so that the feet 22 are in firm gripping relation with the inner face of the central horizontal web 13. The upwardly facing portions of the notches 24 are in firm gripping engagement with the under sides of the rims 14 and to an extent to slightly deform the channel 11 for this purpose.

The floor boards 30 are now brought successively to positions with their lower faces 32 supported by the upper faces of the rims 14 and with the panel inserts 42 engaging the faces 32, and are moved to positions to engage the holding fingers 26. The holding fingers 26 urge the boards 30 downwardly into gripping engagement with the upper faces of the rims 17 and with the boards 30 compressing the panel inserts 42. The panel inserts 42 are under compression as previously indicated.

At predetermined locations between the clips 20, the holding inserts 37 are provided and prevent independent movement or deflection of one floor board 30 with respect to the next at the locations at which the inserts 37 are provided.

It will thus be seen that the physical characteristics of the panel inserts 42 and cushioning runners 41 can be balanced both beneath the floor boards 30 and the channels 11 so that an improved impact response is provided with a high order of stability.

The structure heretofore described is accordingly particularly suited for attaining the objects of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a flooring system having a plurality of floor boards superposed on and transversely spanning a plurality of spaced parallel supporting members on a foundation,

said floor boards having upper and lower faces, and

fastening members holding said fioor boards to said parallel supporting members, and

members for attaching said supporting members to the foundation, the improvement which comprises, for imparting substantially uniform load bearing and impact response characteristics to the upper faces of the boards,

resilient supporting inserts in and substantially longitudinally filling the spaces between said supporting members and enhancing the span response of said floorboards to load and impact,

said resilient supporting inserts having their upper margins in engagement with the lower faces of said floor boards and their lower margins in engagement with said foundation and thereby directly imparting their load bearing and impact response characteristics substantially uniformly to the floor boards,

said parallel supporting members having resilient supports interposed between said supporting members and said foundation,

said resilient supports and said resilient supporting inserts having different predetermined resiliency and load bearing characteristics for substantially balancing the load bearing and resilient impact response characteristics of said floor boards in span and over said supporting members.

2. A flooring system as defined in claim 1 in which said members for attaching said supporting members to the foundation have portions permitting downward deflection of said supporting members but restraining upward movement thereof.

3. A flooring ssytem as defined in claim 1 in which said resilient inserts are in continuous compressed relation.

4. A flooring system as defined in claim 1 in which said resilient supports are continuous strips.

5. A flooring system as defined in claim 4 in which said resilient supports are of resilient material and provide gasket seals at the intersection with the foundation of said members for attaching.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,302,578 5/1919 Murphy 52-480 1,672,255 6/1928 Go-rman 52-480 1,819,039 8/1931 Rosenblatt 248-22 2,057,135 10/1936 Cherry 52-489 2,115,238 4/1938 Stevens 52-480 2,116,737 5/1938 Urbain 52-489 (Other references on following page) 5 6 STATES PATENTS 2,862,255 12/1958 Nelson 52 4s0 Urbain at 5 4 9 3,031,725 5/1962 OII1h01t 52379 P 248350 RICHARD W. COOKE JR., Primary Examiner. 5

5 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner. a sen urger e a. Abrahamson 248 22 R. A. STENZEL, Asszstant Examiner. v 

1. IN A FLOORING SYSTEM HAVING A PLURALITY OF FLOOR BOARDS SUPERPOSED ON THE TRANSVERSELY SPANNING A PLURALITY OF SPACED PARALLEL SUPPORTING MEMBERS ON A FOUNDATION, SAID FLOOR BOARDS HAVING UPPER AND LOWER FACES, AND FASTENING MEMBERS HOLDING SAID FLOOR BOARDS TO SAID PARALLEL SUPPORTING MEMBERS, AND MEMBERS FOR ATTACHING SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS TO THE FOUNDATION, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, FOR IMPARTING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM LOAD BEARING AND IMPACT RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS TO THE UPPER FACES OF THE BOARDS, RESILIENT SUPPORTING INSERTS IN AND SUBSTNATIALLY LONGITUDINALLY FILLING THE SPACES BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS AND ENHANCING THE SPAN RESPONSE OF SAID FLOOR BOARDS TO LOAD AND IMPACT, SAID RESILIENT SUPPORTING INSERTS HAVING THEIR UPPER MARGINS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOWER FACES OF SAID FLOOR BOARDS AND THEIR LOWER MARGINS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FOUNDATION AND THEREBY DIRECTLY IMPARTING THEIR LOAD BEARING AND IMPACT RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY TO THE FLOOR BOARDS, SAID PARALLEL SUPPORTING MEMBERS HAVING RESILIENT SUPPORTS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS AND SAID FOUNDATION, SAID RESILIENT SUPPORTS AND SAID RESILIENT SUPPORTING INSERTS HAVING DIFFERENT PREDETERMINED RESILIENCY AND LOAD BEARING CHARACTERISTICS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY BALANCING THE LOAD BEARING AND RESILIENT IMPACT RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS OF SAID FLOOR BOARDS IN SPAN AND OVER SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS. 